


Brightly Burst Into The Air

by dankeyesdankeyes (toitsantiago)



Category: The Like (Band), Young Love (Band), Young Veins
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bartender!Dan, Bar, Breakup, F/M, M/M, TW//alcoholism, alternate universe - no fame, bar au, drunk!Ryan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-22
Updated: 2019-10-22
Packaged: 2020-12-28 09:36:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21134561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toitsantiago/pseuds/dankeyesdankeyes
Summary: Drinking doesn’t make you forget, just makes you remember the details.





	Brightly Burst Into The Air

It wasn’t really that fun anymore. Alcohol burned, it all tasted the same. Headaches were painful and common. Hangovers even more so. 

But it didn’t matter if it was fun. It was a pastime. 

It didn’t really do a good job of what he wanted it to do, though. He still remembered. 

It hurt too much to remember but drinking never made him forget. What a fucking scam. 

Ryan slammed the now empty bottle on the bar and hissed at the immediate rush in his brain. 

“Rough day?” The tall bartender asked, grabbing the empty bottle. He placed another in front of the sulking man. 

“Rough months, year? Rough....always,” Ryan sighed, taking a sip. 

The bartender leaned against the bar and Ryan found himself observing the little details. His blonde hair combed back, the scar above his eyebrow, and what must have been a sunburn on his face. 

“Wanna talk while you drown your sorrows? Or just drown them?”

Ryan shrugged, “we can talk.”

The bartender straightened his posture. “If we’re gonna talk,” he extended his hand, “I’m Dan.”

Ryan went to shake his hand lazily, but Dan greeted him with a strong handshake. It caught him a little off guard. “Ryan.”

Dan nodded, acknowledging his name. “Nice to meet you, Ryan. So...who broke your heart?”

Ryan slumped against the bar, burying his face in hands. “Is it that obvious?” He mumbled. 

Dan chuckled, “buddy, it’s always obvious. Someone’s always troubled by another.”

“It’s more of who’s heart did I break...I think I- I think I broke her.” Ryan kicked back the bottle, aiming to finish it as quickly as possible. 

“Woah! I know this is a bar but don’t go crazy-“ Dan tried to offer humor. 

Ryan hissed at the burning in his chest, “I uh....I have a problem...kinda—not really. But she said I do and I kinda just....I’m not good with people being concerned about me.” He picked at the label on the glass. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this. It’s not like you’re a therapist.”

The bartender shrugged, “I may as well be a therapist. I bet they get paid a hell of a lot better!”

Ryan laughed a little, “that’s probably true.” He threw back the rest of his beer. “Give me something strong? I’m trying to forget something.”

Dan cocked an eyebrow, “you’re not going to pass out in my bar, right?”

“No,” Ryan pushed the empty bottle towards the tall man, “I always do that in the middle of the road. Don’t worry about me.”

Dan hesitated before pouring the drunk man a shot. He pushed it towards him and grabbed another shot glass, pouring another. “Tell you what,” he picked up the second shot glass, “I’ve been broken hearted, too. So let’s cheers to being in the broken hearts club.”

Ryan nodded, clinking his glass against Dan’s before they both took the swallow of liquor. 

Ryan’s eyes screwed tight and he coughed a little, “fuck. What was that?”

“You’re an alcoholic who’s never had Fireball?” Dan huffed, pouring another shot. “How is that so?”

Ryan shrugged, “I don’t really like cinnamon.”

Dan nudged the glass back towards him, “well tonight you do. Drink up.”

* * *

Dan quit at the second shot: he still had to do his job. Even though the bar was practically empty. It was a Monday night, after all. 

But Ryan...Ryan was about 5 shots and 3 beers deep in misery. 

“You know,” the drunk man hiccuped, “she’s right. I do have a problem.” His speech was slurred and his eyes were sunken and sad. “She always....always said I could be something....with my music. And– I keep fucking it up, expecting her to be there.—She’s the best person ever....I broke her—I broke her heart!” He laid head against the bar dramatically. 

Dan pat his shoulder, “you wanna tell me about her?”

Ryan looked up slowly, tipping the empty shot glass absentmindedly. “She’s small, like skinny....she’s pale but she tans pretty easy,” he paused to hiccup, “she has pretty blonde hair, pretty eyes. Pouty, kissy lips.”

Dan just listened. Ryan was sure he was just being kind because it was his job. But as Ryan described his lost love, he couldn’t help but look up and make the comparison between his girl and the bartender. 

“She uh, kinda looks like a girl version of you....except she’s super short, she’s like...5’2”. She’d look so tiny next to you,” Ryan laughed shallowly before pushing the shot glass back to Dan, “more?”

Dan shook his head, sighing, “one more, pretty boy, last calls in 5 minutes.”

After pouring the shot, Dan rang the last call bell despite there being 6 people total in the bar, most of them together. 

It cleared out fairly quick, except for Ryan who sat thinking intently at the bar. 

“Last call, Ryan. Do you have a safe way home?”

Ryan didn’t look at the taller man, just off into the neon lights of the bar, “I don’t- we lived together....I guess I don’t have a home right now. She’d kill me if I showed up there...”

Dan thought he may be crazy for a moment, but he decided to embrace it, “how about my couch? Sound safe enough to you? I promise I won’t chop you up.”

Ryan turned to look at him with glazed eyes and a soft expression, “be a lot cooler if you did.”

Dan smiled gently and came around the bar to help the drunken boy off the bar stool. “Come on, heartbreaker. Let’s get you to bed.”


End file.
